Terrence Mawawa |Masvingo In a statement that could spark controversy,Labour and Social Welfare Minister,Priscilla Mupfumira has sensationally announced that ghost workers must be immediately removed to reduce government expenditure.
Mupfumira’s sentiments could irk her bosses who have been protecting ghost workers since 2008.It is understood most of the ghost workers are in the Women Affairs and Youth ministries respectively. Youth ,Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Minister, Patrick Zhuwao has vowed to protect ghost workers in his ministry,despite the escalating wage bill .
It is understood there are over 80 000 ghost workers,mainly Zanu PF youths who are being rewarded for orchestrating violence against the ruling party’s political foes. The government has all but failed to put together civil servants’ salaries for June,with the pay dates being shifted to July,excluding the pay days for the police and the army.
Members of the Zimbabwe National Army have since received their salaries while members of the Zimbabwe Republic Police will get their salaries on June 30. Mupfumira said in a statement last week,the rationalisation programme at lower government departments was vital to ensure there were no ghost workers in government.
The minister also conceded ghost workers were milking the state coffers dry. “The ministry has embarked on a rationalisation process to try and reduce the number of staff in government departments to make sure that there are no ghost workers in the system.The government does not have the money to cater for the huge wage bill ,”said Mupfumira.